Resources and publications
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Search guides, case notes, opinions, reports and other information. Resources and publications can also be searched by date and other options.
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More information about the resource categories on this page
Guides
Commonly used guides include:
- The OIA for Ministers and agencies
- The LGOIMA for local government agencies
- Making official information requests: a guide for requesters
Detailed guidance on the official information legislation and aspects of good administrative practice.
We also have guidance on disability rights and protected disclosures.
Case notes and opinions
Case notes are a short case summary, often demonstrating an aspect of a case.
An Ombudsman's Opinion is published where there is public interest in showing the full details of a case.
Reports
Reports include OPCAT, disability rights, official information practice and systemic investigation.
Outreach
Contains our media releases, newsletters, pamphlets, speeches and fact sheets. Fact sheets are published in multiple language and accessible formats.
Corporate documents
This includes our annual reports and strategic intentions.
Projects, reference and data
This includes our official information complaints data, updates on investigations and other projects, and submissions by the Ombudsman.
View all projects, reference and data
Template letters and work sheets
These template letters and work sheets can be used by agencies to help respond to official information requests.
79 Resources Show all
OIA compliance and practice in New Zealand Customs Service 2022
Official Information Practice InvestigationsThis report was released as part of ‘Ready or not?’, an investigation into OIA practices at 12 core agencies.Requests to Ministry of Health and ESR for Covid-19 cycle threshold values
Case notesInformation requested initially refused for privacy reasons. The agencies subsequently focused on section 9(2)(c) of the OIA (to avoid prejudice to public health or safety measures).WorkSafe’s decision not to formally investigate an incident
Case notesComplaint about WorkSafe’s decision not to investigate and lay charges following an accident causing injury – failure to consider all relevant information – failure to engage meaningfully with the complainant – no evidence that documents had been faRequest for information about volunteer rural constabulary programme
Case notesSection 9(2)(f)(iv) OIA applied to briefing from New Zealand Police to Minister—negotiations between coalition partners were still required, and disclosure would have prejudiced the orderly and effective conduct of the Government’s decision making proceMaking official information requests: A guide for requesters
Official informationIf you are seeking information from a Minister, or central or local government agency, you may be able to ask for it under either the OIA or LGOIMA.Requests for reasons for a decision or recommendation: A guide to section 23 of the OIA and section 22 of the LGOIMA
Official informationThis is a guide to requests made under section 23 of the OIA (section 22 of the LGOIMA).Confidential advice to government: A guide to section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the OIA
Official informationOne reason for withholding official information is to ‘maintain the constitutional convention protecting the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers and officials’—section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the OIA.The OIA and the public policy making process: A guide to how the OIA applies to information generated in the context of the public policy making process
Official informationThis guide explains the most common reasons why it can sometimes be necessary to withhold official information generated in the context of the public policy making process.Constitutional conventions: A guide to sections 9(2)(f)(i)-(iii) of the OIA
Official informationThis guide deals with the 'constitutional conventions' withholding ground in section 9(2)(f) of the OIA.Request for statistics on allegations of assault by Corrections staff
Case notesRequirements of Operations Manual meant source information to answer request should be held—manual compilation is not creation—s 18(g) does not apply—unreasonable to rely on s 18(f) when the fundamental difficulty in providing the information was down to the Department’s own administrative lapsesRequest for information about access to staff records
Case notesInformation held is incomplete but it should be released along with a contextual statement—s 18(g) does not apply—staff recollections should also be providedRequest for footage of battle of Baghak
Case notesNZDF deemed to hold battle footage recorded by soldiers on their personal devices in their official capacityRequests for firearms statistics
Case notesRefusal under section 18(g) not justified—information held—Police could manually extract and compile statistics—where compilation involves substantial collation or research s 18(f) appliesRequest for employee’s recollection of events
Case notesRequest for DIA employee’s recollection of events that occurred when she was employed by another agency—DIA not deemed to hold information because not held by employee in that person’s capacity as such an employee—information that cannot be recalled is not held—s 18(g) appliesRequest for information about mental health
Case notesRefusal justified but not because request was vexatious—some information not held but would need to be created—some information could not be provided without substantial collation or researchRequests for emails of former Minister
Case notesEmails of former Ministers held by Parliamentary Services pursuant to contract with DIA deemed to be official information held by DIARequest for Policy Advisory Group briefings to Prime Minister about infant formula threat
Case notesSection 9(2)(f)(iv) applies to PAG briefings to Prime Minister subject to public interest test— relationship between PAG and the Prime Minister, in his or her constitutional role as leader of the Government, is unique—complete confidentiality in interactions with his or her closest advisers is required to support the Prime Minister in carrying out that roleRequest for evidentiary conclusions in respect of 15 issues or assertions and information about religious affiliation or association of staff
Case notesInformation not held—evidentiary conclusions would need to be created—to the extent that if information about religious affiliation or association of staff was held in mind of Commissioner, it would be held in a personal capacityAdequacy of ex gratia payment to remedy mistake by Customs
Case notesNZ Customs officer rejected passenger on flight because water damage on passport—Ombudsman found officers failed to process the passport adequately and caused considerable cost to passenger because of this failure—complainant upheld and complainant received full payment to cover financial lossesCharge for the creation of statistics
Case notesOIA and Charging Guidelines did not apply to request for statistics that were not held but could be created for a fee—fee for the creation of statistics was calculated in accordance with the agency’s Sales and Pricing Policy and was not unreasonableRequest for information regarding rental housing warrants of fitness
Case notesSection 9(2)(f)(iv) provides good reason to withhold some documents—Cabinet decision making incomplete—publicity from release would impede the Cabinet and Minister from making balanced, efficient and effective decision—Minister had addressed public interest in participation and accountability through disclosure of bulk of information at issueDepartment of Internal Affairs provides reasonable service and advice to traveller on temporary passport
Case notesWhether the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) reasonably handled revalidation of a passport for New Zealand citizen travelling on temporary passport—Ombudsman concluded DIA had made every effort to inform the complainant of the steps needed to have his passport validatedRequest for information redacted from Ministerial briefings and Cabinet papers on telecommunications and ultra-fast broadband
Case notesWhile some decisions had been made, others were still required, and disclosure would prejudice the orderly and effective conduct of ongoing advisory and decision making processesRequest for advice to Local Government Commission
Case notesNo ministerial or executive government decision making process would be undermined by release—draft and final versions of the advice were substantially similar and the advice was in the nature of a careful and considered critique—no good reason to withholdRequest for information about tangata whenua rights
Case notesRequester seeking official statement from Minister—information not held—explanation would need to be createdRequest for advice regarding proposals for the future of Christchurch education
Case notesDecision was not justified under s 9(2)(f)(iv) because Cabinet had already made high level decisions and the key elements of the plan had been announced—strong public interest in releaseRequest for Cabinet paper on decision to retain newborn blood spot cards
Case notesDecisions had been made—information did not reveal advice that would subsequently be tendered—s 9(2)(f)(iv) does not applyRequest for report on application to enter negotiations to integrate school
Case notesWhile the report itself had been considered, it was part of a longer term process of advice—disclosure would prejudice the orderly and effective conduct of ongoing advisory and decision making processesRequest for Cabinet paper relating to review of Overseas Investment Act
Case notesDisclosure would prejudice orderly and effective conduct of ongoing advisory and decision making processesRequest for reasons about unsuccessful reappointment
Case notesExtent of detail required in response to s 23 request depends on circumstances of particular case – a requester may still have questions after they receive statement of reasons but that does not mean statement is inadequate – s 23(2A) only protects evaluative material that has been ‘supplied’ by someone elseRequest for information relating to Whānau Ora
Case notesDisclosure while policy advice still under consideration by Ministers would prejudice ongoing decision making process—disclosure of inter-agency consultation would inhibit future expression of free and frank opinions by officialsRequest for information about review of schools’ operational funding
Case notesInformation not of an advisory nature—information tendered by an external advisory group, not Ministers or officials—disclosure would not prejudice ability of Ministers to consider advice eventually tendered by officials—s 9(2)(f)(iv) did not apply